Brown to remain Mayor of Port-of-Spain

MURCHINSON BROWN is to retain the position as Mayor of Port-of-Spain with his Deputy as Rishi Lakhan.

PNM sources confirmed this to Newsday yesterday, as the party finalised its selection of Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Chairmen, Vice Chairmen and Aldermen at a lengthy screening session at Balisier House, Port-of-Spain. The session was chaired by Prime Minister and Political leader of the PNM, Patrick Manning. Sources said the next Mayor of Arima is tipped to be Eustace Nancis, owner of Arima Door Centre. Patricia Mejias will remain as head of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation. The Sangre Grande Chairman-ship is expected to be given to young attorney-at-law, Carl Quamina, who won the Sangre Grande Northeast seat. Quamina is said to be very vibrant in the Sangre Grande region.

The PNM for the first time captured all seven seats in that Corporation. In the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation, the incumbent Chairman Dr Geoffrey Reyes is expected to retain the post. Reyes was the former vice chairman of the corporation, but assumed the post as Chairman, when Anthony Roberts, was selected to contest the St Ann’s East seat in the 2002 General Election. Anthony Atherly is to be the Mayor of San Fernando. As campaign manager, Atherly helped Diane Seukeran, in her victorious bid for the San Fernando West seat in the last general election. Desmond Nata is to be the Mayor of Point Fortin, while Steve Castagne will head the Diego Martin Regional Corporation.

Following yesterday’s General Council meeting, Manning told reporters that the names of the selected Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Chairmen, Vice Chairmen and Aldermen would be announced in “due course.” He said the screening exercise which began on Friday would have ended yesterday. The PNM has said the criteria for the selection of office holders in the nine Local Government bodies it controls, will be based on age, ethnic balance and management competence. Today Councillors in the Arima Borough Corporation will be sworn in, while on Wednesday Councillors in the Diego Martin Corporation and Point Fortin Borough Corporation will be sworn in. Three days following the swearing in of Councillors, the oath of office will be taken by the respective Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Chairmen and Vice Chairmen.